1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to fishing apparatus and, more specifically, to a fishing line control system for safely and efficiently dispensing and cutting fishing line to a desired length.
2. The Prior Art
At one time, fly fishermen utilized simple leaders to attach their flies to the fishing line. The leader was typically transparent with a lower breaking strength than the fishing line to which it was attached. Some leader floated, and other leader sank, depending on the type of fishing involved.
More recently, tapered leaders have become popular. Commercially packaged leaders, typically 7 to 15 feet in length, are typically designed with the ever-popular floating line in mind. The thin dense sinkers seldom require a leader over 6-feet, if that, and the taper matters much less than for floating line. Commercially manufactured “knotless” leaders typically have standard tippet diameters.
The tippet is part of the leader. It is the finite part of the leader assembly. As such, the tippet joins the all important fly to the rest of the system. The tippet is typically the last 15-inches or so of the leader at the very minimum. The tippet can be longer, but if it is less than 15-inches, it may cost a fisherman a record under the IGFA rules. Leaders are made in varied lengths, in varied diameters and of varied material. Nothing is constant in leader selection other than the water being fished and the chosen fly.
Short of a special order, almost all commercially available leaders are “knotless.” This means that fisherman typically will buy a leader whose taper is continuous from the butt diameter to the diameter of the tippet—in other words, no knots from thick to thin. Technology enables a manufacturer to set the specific taper in incremental diameters extruded mechanically or chemically. The packaging will typically clearly indicate (1) the sizing for “X” and, (2) the breaking strength of the tippet. Importantly, these ratings apply only to the tippet, not the leader butt or body that are considerably thicker. For most freshwater fly fishers, the commercial knotless leader, with its built-in tippet, does an adequate job.
Besides sizing for “X,” another thing of concern to the fly fisher is the leader length and the breaking strength of the tippet. Commercially packaged leaders typically are available in lengths from 7 to 15-feet. The longer the leader, the more difficult it typically is to control the leader during a cast; while the shorter the leader, the greater the likelihood of spooking fish. For many people, a 9-feet leader is a reasonably good compromise. In stained or cloudy waters, a 7-feet leader may be adequate. For many, the shorter the leader that enables a fisherman to catch fish, the better.
The advancement in leader manufacturing has kept pace with the advancements in fly lines. Monofilament line has been continuously improved for over twenty years. However, other materials are beginning to become important. Manufacturers now have a wide choice in materials when fabricating leaders. As a result, leaders today can range from very stiff to very supple. In fact, there seems to be a leader for just about anything a fisherman could possibly want to do on the water.
Beginning fly fishermen typically start with a leader made of conventional monofilament. As long as the leader is sized for “X,” almost any leader will prove satisfactory as he refines his fly fishing skills. Down the road, the differences in leader materials might become significant, especially when the fly fisherman begins fishing different waters and chasing different species of fish. Note that the leader performs two tasks critical to success in catching fish. First, during the cast the leader transmits power from the line to the fly. Second, in or on the water, the leader is the shield of invisibility for a fly line.
As a general guide, the butt section of the leader typically accounts for 40% to 60% of the total length of the leader; and the midsection, or tapered body, another 20% to 40%. The tippet makes up the remainder of the leader. One thing that is important about the percentages of butt, midsection, and tippet, is the taper that maximizes the uninterrupted flow of energy from the line to the fly. If the flow of energy from rod to fly is not right, the fishing rig will often not perform properly in making the cast or turning over the fly in the final presentation.
A problem often arises with standard fishing leaders. As a fly fisher ties-on fly after fly, the tippet quickly disappears. The odds are, however, that the leader butt and the midsection remain in good shape. Rather than replacing the entire leader, one solution is to tie-on a new piece of monofilament line and then continue fishing. Tying-on a new tippet typically only requires tying one of two knots. One advantage of tying-on tippet is that fly fishing need not be any more expensive than spinning and bait-casting.
There are also times when the commercial knotless leader will not conform to a fly fisherman's want list of things he expects it to do. One example is wind fighting. For example, a fisherman may be having trouble making the cast because the leader cannot face the wind. If the fly fisherman has already shortened the leader, the problem could be the diameter of the leader butt. Many commercial leaders have a leader butt approximately 0.023″ in diameter. That is typically acceptable under normal conditions, but not in the wind. It is not surprising that a single leader butt, for example 0.023″ in diameter, often will not satisfy the needs of lines ranging from 5 to 10-weight. This is another place where tying-on tippet to the end of the leader can be advantageous.
Thus, for a number of reasons discussed above, many fly fishermen find that they prefer tying their own tippet to the rest of their leader. One problem that arises though is that this often becomes messy and error prone. Often, removing tippet from a spool can result in the rest of the tippet on the spool becoming fouled. Also, it is often hard to properly size tippet, especially in the conditions faced in the midst of fly fishing. It would therefore be advantageous to have a mechanism available to those tying their own tippet that would keep the remaining tippet on the spool from fouling, while allowing the fly fisher to be able to accurately, repeatedly, and safely extract the desired length of tippet from a spool, even in the worst conditions.